49ers free agency: 5 players Niners won’t bring back in 2022

49ers free agent No. 1: Running back Raheem Mostert

Jason Verrett wasn’t the only high-profile player San Francisco lost in Week 1.

Running back Raheem Mostert, the player so vital to the team’s Super Bowl run during the 2019 season, went down with a knee injury during the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions, and not long thereafter, he elected to undergo season-ending surgery to put himself in a better position to return in 2022.

This led, however, to the emergence of Niners rookie tailback Elijah Mitchell, who set a franchise record for a first-year player with 963 rush yards over just 11 games played.

There are some arguments to re-sign Mostert this offseason. Mitchell was frequently injured, and San Francisco hasn’t received the kind of production expected out of fellow 2021 rookie Trey Sermon. Veteran runner Jeff Wilson Jr. is a restricted free agent, while running back JaMycal Hasty is a gadget player at best.

Mostert does know the system, too, but he also comes with a notable injury history and will turn 30 years old by the time the 2022 season starts.

While the 49ers haven’t been shy about paying running backs good money, the realistic bet would be them showing Mostert the door this offseason and opting for other options instead.